Pancake Souffle Muffins with Strawberry Maple Syrup

“HE WHO GOES TO BED HUNGRY DREAMS OF PANCAKES.”  Maltese Proverb

Well now.  Anyone who truly knows me, knows that my thinking and my dreams are rarely conventional!  And so I was happy to have stumbled upon a recipe for these savory sweet creations! They are a perfect combination of the taste of a pancake, with the texture of a souffle, all in the compact little shape of a muffin!

Very easy to make, and again, I love making recipes that lend themselves to variation.  I added cinnamon to the batter.  But still, they are not very sweet.  Which is good, because the pure maple syrup and strawberries add plenty of richness.  And the  ‘muffins’ are nice and light.  Here is where my unconventional mind is going with these……..

As a breakfast treat, I might try to incorporate some fruit right into the batter.  Blueberries would be nice, with maybe a honey- lemon syrup.  I think it would make a great ‘to go’ breakfast if you added a bit more sweetening agent into the mix; again, adding your fruit into the batter, and taking it along with you like a muffin.

You could go more dessert like if you added a chocolate drizzle, or a sauce with some liqueur.  Perhaps serving it with some whipped cream or ice cream?

But I can also see these going in a very savory direction if you omit any extra sweeteners and serve it with a protein and a cream sauce…like chicken divan.  Anyway ….mix and match to your heart’s delight!  But do come back and tell me where your unconventional thoughts took you!

MUFFINS:

Nonstick cooking spray

10-1/2 oz. (2-1/3 cups) all-purpose flour

4-1/2 oz. (1 cup plus 2 TBSP) cake flour

2 tsp baking soda

2 tsp baking powder

1 tsp kosher salt

1/4 tsp cinnamon (if desired)

6 large eggs, separated and at room temperature

3/4 tsp.cream of tartar

6 TBSP unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly

6 TBSP granulated sugar

1 tsp pure vanilla extract

3-1/3 cups buttermilk, at room temperature

Confectioners’ sugar, for sprinkling

Preheat the oven to 400°F.  Generously  spray two 12-cup muffin pans with the cooking spray.

In a medium bowl, mix the all-purpose flour, cake flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt, cinnamon; set aside.

In a large, clean mixing bowl, beat the egg whites and cream of tartar with an electric  mixer on medium-high speed until firm peaks form, about 2 to 3 minutes. Set aside.

In another large bowl, beat the egg yolks with the mixer on medium-high speed until light yellow and thick ribbons form, about 6 minutes. Add the melted butter, sugar, and vanilla; mix on medium-low speed until combined, about 30 seconds. Add one-third of the dry ingredients and mix on low speed. Add one-third of the buttermilk and mix to combine. Alternate adding the remaining dry ingredients and buttermilk, ending with the buttermilk and mixing until just combined.

With a large rubber spatula, gently fold the whites into the batter, leaving some streaks.

Scoop about 1/2 cup of the batter into each muffin cup—you can fill the cups to the rims. Bake until browned on top and puffed, and a toothpick inserted in the centers comes out dry, about 18-22  minutes. (Note the tops of the muffins will deflate slightly.)

STRAWBERRY MAPLE SYRUP:

1 1/2 c pure maple syrup

1 1/2 c strawberries, hulled and quartered

Pour the maple syrup into a saucepan and bring to a boil over medium high heat.  Prepare the strawberries and put them into a glass bowl.  Pour the syrup over the strawberries and set in a warm place until ready to use.

Enjoy!

Recipe adapted from Fine Cooking